The Magic Number is 1!
Look for that exclamation point to to disappear if the Pats can't clinch the division with a win at home against the Jaguars on Sunday.
The goal for the next two weeks has to be, in Tom Brady's own words, "Finding some consistency" on offense. In the five games when the offense has been stellar, the Pats have looked like the sure winners of Superbowl XLVI.
And believe it or not, New England is now tied for the fourth best defense in the NFL.
The bottom line is that despite all the fan pessimism that has resulted from four really horrible losses this season, and only five really dominant wins, the Pats are still in a position to put it all together for a strong playoff run. There isn't a team in the conference that they cannot beat if they have all the parts working.
Really.
They can do it, but all cylinders need to be firing. I look at it this way. The defense has allowed 16.27 points per game on average. However, the offense has only scored 24.3 points per game. What they need to do is put up a couple of convincing two or three touchdown victories in the final two games to generate some good momentum going into January.
But first things first. Sewing up the division should look like this.
My prediction for week 16:
Pats: 31
Jags: 14
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 15
Last week I predicted:
Pats: 28
Panthers: 14
The Result:
Pats: 20
Panthers: 10
Okay, it's not as accurate as I can sometimes be, but neither is Tom Brady, although I do like the symmetry.
I had to watch last week's game in one of those wonderfully awful British pubs we have on every block on 192 between downtown Kissimmee and Clermont. Of course, no one was watching the Dolphins-Jaguars. It wasn't even on one of the TVs. But there were about 10 other New England fans hanging on every play and occassionally glancing at New Orleans and Indy. One of the Bostonians made the brilliant remark that the Patriots are in effect "playing 'possum" until the very end of the season when they will suddenly turn on the gas and play like our mighty heroes of the unforgotten past.
And yes, we do have 'possums in New England, so this guy might know what he is talking about. We tend to call them "opossums," however, which is actually their real name. And no New Englander has ever eaten possum fritters. Believe it or not, you redneck. We also have lots of "crayfish" in our lakes and streams, but we don't eat those either. We use them for bait when fishing for large mouth bass. So if you are inside the 495 beltway, don't go talking about "smokin' some crawdads." People are liable to get the wrong idea.
The "playing 'possum" analogy is a nice thought that even I with my steely logic have succumbed to on occassion in thinking about Brady's on-and-off "comeback." Whenever I do, I have to remind myself that this is the NFL. It's not a 200 meter race where the best runner just has to keep pace and then turn it on in the final stretch. Anything can happen in December.
My Prediction for week 15:
Pats 35
Bills 9
The game against the Bills is a no-brainer. They have to win. They have to pull out all the stops. They have to win big. The defense can't turn it off toward the end. Randy Moss has to catch everything he can get his fingertips on.
The Jets play the undefeated Colts in two weeks. So there is little hope of this mediocre team winning all of their final three. So the Pats have a game to give against New York.
The biggest pitfall, I hate to say, is Miami. If the Dolphins lose on Sunday, it's over. But if both teams win, it puts the Patriots in a scenario in which dropping even with Miami means losing the division once again via tie breakers. If New England falls even with Miami by losing to the Bills, then the Pats lose the "games within the division" tie-breaker.
If they win against the Bills, they still have to finish a game ahead of Miami to win the division. Once week 15 is in the bag, New England plays Jacksonville and Houston. A loss to either Jacksonville at home in two weeks or at Houston would be a disaster.
Here's why.
DIVISION RECORD
Pats ----- 3 wins - 2 losses - 1 TBD at Bills
Dolphins - 4 wins - 2 losses
Here I am assuming both teams win this week. The Pats impove to 9-5 and the Dolphins 8-6. But that will put them even in division record at season's end.
COMMON OPPONENTS
Then look here! Last week the Pats beat Carolina and the Dolphins beat Jacksonville. Let's say both teams win again this week.
Pats ----- 7 wins - 3 losses - 2 TBD
Dolphins - 7 wins - 4 losses - 1 TBD
If the Pats split their last two games and Miami wins the last two, the two teams end up tied and move on to the next tie breaker.
CONFERENCE RECORD
This is assuming both teams win this Sunday and the Dolphins pick up a game on the Patriots to draw even in the last two weeks.
Pats ----- 7 wins - 5 losses
Dolphins - 8 wins - 4 losses
The Dolphins win the division!
CONCLUSION
The Pats have their proverbial destiny in their own hands. They have to win every game unless the Dolphins lose one. They can count on the Colts finishing off the Jets. But if they drop even with Miami, the Pats are cooked.
Pats: 28
Panthers: 14
The Result:
Pats: 20
Panthers: 10
Okay, it's not as accurate as I can sometimes be, but neither is Tom Brady, although I do like the symmetry.
I had to watch last week's game in one of those wonderfully awful British pubs we have on every block on 192 between downtown Kissimmee and Clermont. Of course, no one was watching the Dolphins-Jaguars. It wasn't even on one of the TVs. But there were about 10 other New England fans hanging on every play and occassionally glancing at New Orleans and Indy. One of the Bostonians made the brilliant remark that the Patriots are in effect "playing 'possum" until the very end of the season when they will suddenly turn on the gas and play like our mighty heroes of the unforgotten past.
And yes, we do have 'possums in New England, so this guy might know what he is talking about. We tend to call them "opossums," however, which is actually their real name. And no New Englander has ever eaten possum fritters. Believe it or not, you redneck. We also have lots of "crayfish" in our lakes and streams, but we don't eat those either. We use them for bait when fishing for large mouth bass. So if you are inside the 495 beltway, don't go talking about "smokin' some crawdads." People are liable to get the wrong idea.
The "playing 'possum" analogy is a nice thought that even I with my steely logic have succumbed to on occassion in thinking about Brady's on-and-off "comeback." Whenever I do, I have to remind myself that this is the NFL. It's not a 200 meter race where the best runner just has to keep pace and then turn it on in the final stretch. Anything can happen in December.
My Prediction for week 15:
Pats 35
Bills 9
The game against the Bills is a no-brainer. They have to win. They have to pull out all the stops. They have to win big. The defense can't turn it off toward the end. Randy Moss has to catch everything he can get his fingertips on.
The Jets play the undefeated Colts in two weeks. So there is little hope of this mediocre team winning all of their final three. So the Pats have a game to give against New York.
The biggest pitfall, I hate to say, is Miami. If the Dolphins lose on Sunday, it's over. But if both teams win, it puts the Patriots in a scenario in which dropping even with Miami means losing the division once again via tie breakers. If New England falls even with Miami by losing to the Bills, then the Pats lose the "games within the division" tie-breaker.
If they win against the Bills, they still have to finish a game ahead of Miami to win the division. Once week 15 is in the bag, New England plays Jacksonville and Houston. A loss to either Jacksonville at home in two weeks or at Houston would be a disaster.
Here's why.
DIVISION RECORD
Pats ----- 3 wins - 2 losses - 1 TBD at Bills
Dolphins - 4 wins - 2 losses
Here I am assuming both teams win this week. The Pats impove to 9-5 and the Dolphins 8-6. But that will put them even in division record at season's end.
COMMON OPPONENTS
Then look here! Last week the Pats beat Carolina and the Dolphins beat Jacksonville. Let's say both teams win again this week.
Pats ----- 7 wins - 3 losses - 2 TBD
Dolphins - 7 wins - 4 losses - 1 TBD
If the Pats split their last two games and Miami wins the last two, the two teams end up tied and move on to the next tie breaker.
CONFERENCE RECORD
This is assuming both teams win this Sunday and the Dolphins pick up a game on the Patriots to draw even in the last two weeks.
Pats ----- 7 wins - 5 losses
Dolphins - 8 wins - 4 losses
The Dolphins win the division!
CONCLUSION
The Pats have their proverbial destiny in their own hands. They have to win every game unless the Dolphins lose one. They can count on the Colts finishing off the Jets. But if they drop even with Miami, the Pats are cooked.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 14 & 2009 AFC East Tie Breaker Scenarios
Simple:
Pats: 28
Panthers: 14
The Pats continue to be less than stellar, but put them in Foxboro where they are undefeated and it's a no-brainer.
2009 AFC East Tie Breaker Scenarios
Following the collapse of the Pats against a great team and a mediocre team, New England Fans need to assess the postseason scenario.
Win all four games and the Pats win the division with an outside (very outside) shot at the the number two seeding if they make up ground on four other teams and beat all the tie breaker scenarios.
A more likely scenario is the division and a resulting third or fourth seeding -- which makes no difference. New Englanders refuse to look at the Wild Card scenario while their team is still even one game ahead of the rest of the division. Red Sox fans do that, but not Patriots fans.
I think that neither the Jets nor the Dolphins are capable of going 4-0 for the rest of the season. The Jets have to play the undefeated Colts at Indianapolis. The Dolphins have to beat the Jaguars in Jacksonville. In that case, the Pats look pretty safe even at 3-1.
Still with both the Jets and the Dolphins a game back, it's possible that further Patriots losses could force a tie or even a three-way tie.
Here are the tie breaker scenarios. I am not going to analyze a situation that has any other team except the Patriots tied for first place. There are far too many variables for that analysis and I simply won't care. I also won't analyze a still possible tie with the Bills. Not yet at least.
DIVISION RECORD
Pats ----- 3 wins - 2 losses - 1 TBD at Bills
Dolphins - 4 wins - 2 losses
Jets ----- 3 wins - 3 losses
If the Pats lose to the Bills and tie the Dolphins, the Pats' season is over. But if they beat the Bills, it goes to the next tie breaker.
If the Pats lose to the Bills and tie only with the Jets for the division lead, it goes to the next tie breaker.
COMMON OPPONENTS
This is trickier. But not too tricky for me. Divisional rivals play 12 games a year against common opponents. Here are common opponents based on the Patriots record only. I won't do a Jets-Dolphins head-to-head comparison here because I simply don't care.
Pats ----- 5 wins - 3 losses - 4 TBD
Dolphins - 5 wins - 4 losses - 3 TBD
Jets ----- 4 wins - 5 losses - 3 TBD
Pats-Dolphins - The Pats are a game ahead of the Dolphins at the moment in common opponents. A tie scenario assumes that the Pats win against the Bills, but drop at least one other game to a common opponent to put them even. Besides the Bills, all three remaining Patriot games are against common opponents. Assuming the Dolphins win all four of their remaining games, the Pats have to win against the Bills and go 2-1 in the other three games to force a tie breaker.
Pats-Jets - The Pats are two games ahead of the Jets in common opponents. Assuming the Jets win all their remaining games, then a tie scenario has New England going 2-2 against common opponents.
CONFERENCE RECORD
This is where it becomes nearly impossible to outline all the scenarios, but here are Pats head to head with the Dolphins and Jets. Each NFL team plays 12 games a year within their own conference.
Pats ----- 5 wins - 4 losses - 3 TBD
Dolphins - 4 wins - 4 losses - 4 TBD
Jets ----- 5 wins - 5 losses - 2 TBD
Here the Pats are a game up on the Dolphins in the win column. Again, the Pats can afford to lose one more than the Dolphins here to remain even. The Pats also are a game ahead of the Jets in the loss column. The same rule applies, but Jets are in a slightly worse position here than the other two teams especially since one of those games is against the undefeated Indiana Colts.
STRENGTH OF VICTORY
This is the total winning percentage of all opponents. Of course, it's impossible to know with four games to go. But let me say: I DID not KNOW that!
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Miami, NE and NY in that order. At least, I think so.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Essentially, back-to-back wins against two weak teams, the Panthers and the Bills, in the next two weeks puts the Patriots in very good shape. Couple that with a Miami loss to the Jaguars, and I may be in a position to call it by then.
Pats: 28
Panthers: 14
The Pats continue to be less than stellar, but put them in Foxboro where they are undefeated and it's a no-brainer.
2009 AFC East Tie Breaker Scenarios
Following the collapse of the Pats against a great team and a mediocre team, New England Fans need to assess the postseason scenario.
Win all four games and the Pats win the division with an outside (very outside) shot at the the number two seeding if they make up ground on four other teams and beat all the tie breaker scenarios.
A more likely scenario is the division and a resulting third or fourth seeding -- which makes no difference. New Englanders refuse to look at the Wild Card scenario while their team is still even one game ahead of the rest of the division. Red Sox fans do that, but not Patriots fans.
I think that neither the Jets nor the Dolphins are capable of going 4-0 for the rest of the season. The Jets have to play the undefeated Colts at Indianapolis. The Dolphins have to beat the Jaguars in Jacksonville. In that case, the Pats look pretty safe even at 3-1.
Still with both the Jets and the Dolphins a game back, it's possible that further Patriots losses could force a tie or even a three-way tie.
Here are the tie breaker scenarios. I am not going to analyze a situation that has any other team except the Patriots tied for first place. There are far too many variables for that analysis and I simply won't care. I also won't analyze a still possible tie with the Bills. Not yet at least.
DIVISION RECORD
Pats ----- 3 wins - 2 losses - 1 TBD at Bills
Dolphins - 4 wins - 2 losses
Jets ----- 3 wins - 3 losses
If the Pats lose to the Bills and tie the Dolphins, the Pats' season is over. But if they beat the Bills, it goes to the next tie breaker.
If the Pats lose to the Bills and tie only with the Jets for the division lead, it goes to the next tie breaker.
COMMON OPPONENTS
This is trickier. But not too tricky for me. Divisional rivals play 12 games a year against common opponents. Here are common opponents based on the Patriots record only. I won't do a Jets-Dolphins head-to-head comparison here because I simply don't care.
Pats ----- 5 wins - 3 losses - 4 TBD
Dolphins - 5 wins - 4 losses - 3 TBD
Jets ----- 4 wins - 5 losses - 3 TBD
Pats-Dolphins - The Pats are a game ahead of the Dolphins at the moment in common opponents. A tie scenario assumes that the Pats win against the Bills, but drop at least one other game to a common opponent to put them even. Besides the Bills, all three remaining Patriot games are against common opponents. Assuming the Dolphins win all four of their remaining games, the Pats have to win against the Bills and go 2-1 in the other three games to force a tie breaker.
Pats-Jets - The Pats are two games ahead of the Jets in common opponents. Assuming the Jets win all their remaining games, then a tie scenario has New England going 2-2 against common opponents.
CONFERENCE RECORD
This is where it becomes nearly impossible to outline all the scenarios, but here are Pats head to head with the Dolphins and Jets. Each NFL team plays 12 games a year within their own conference.
Pats ----- 5 wins - 4 losses - 3 TBD
Dolphins - 4 wins - 4 losses - 4 TBD
Jets ----- 5 wins - 5 losses - 2 TBD
Here the Pats are a game up on the Dolphins in the win column. Again, the Pats can afford to lose one more than the Dolphins here to remain even. The Pats also are a game ahead of the Jets in the loss column. The same rule applies, but Jets are in a slightly worse position here than the other two teams especially since one of those games is against the undefeated Indiana Colts.
STRENGTH OF VICTORY
This is the total winning percentage of all opponents. Of course, it's impossible to know with four games to go. But let me say: I DID not KNOW that!
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Miami, NE and NY in that order. At least, I think so.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Essentially, back-to-back wins against two weak teams, the Panthers and the Bills, in the next two weeks puts the Patriots in very good shape. Couple that with a Miami loss to the Jaguars, and I may be in a position to call it by then.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 13
It's 14-7 as I write this. I was going to predict Patriots 34 to Dolphins 10, so I am sticking to my original story. Really.
More analysis later ...
More analysis later ...
Friday, November 27, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 12
Last week's prediction
Pats 44
Jets 14
Final score
Pats 31
Jets 14
I thought the Pats would score 28 points prior to the second half. They scored 24. Are the Pats letting up in the second half? Are they saving themselves for the really tough opponents?
Monday Night Football has the Pats and the Saints. On paper the Saints look to be the best team in the NFL. In reality, the Saints are not as good as the Pats or the Colts. However, if they win this game, they will likely go 16-0 if they can get past Dallas.
The NFL could end up with two 16-0 teams!
Although it is obvious, I'll let my only commenter explain why a regular season mark of 16-0 is a certain kiss of death in the playoffs.
If the Pats win this game they have a shot at a bye. If they lose, they are are still looking to all but wrap-up the division the next week in Miami. It's not a meaningless game by far, but in the grand scheme of things, a loss is just one loss It doesn't mean much to either team's playoff hopes.
It's difficult to analyze how the two teams stack up. The Pats are by far the better defensive team. Only one other division leader's defense (San Diego) has performed more poorly than New Orleans.
The Saints look to be winners purely on their offensive numbers -- one that could challenge several of New England's 2007 records. But how much of this is a good team made to look like the greatest offensive team in history by their schedule?
The Patriots should win with the best defense the Saints will see all year -- second only to Indianapolis.
The odds makers are all over the map with this one. I predict the Pats by four points.
My Prediction
Pats 37
Saints 33
Pats 44
Jets 14
Final score
Pats 31
Jets 14
I thought the Pats would score 28 points prior to the second half. They scored 24. Are the Pats letting up in the second half? Are they saving themselves for the really tough opponents?
Monday Night Football has the Pats and the Saints. On paper the Saints look to be the best team in the NFL. In reality, the Saints are not as good as the Pats or the Colts. However, if they win this game, they will likely go 16-0 if they can get past Dallas.
The NFL could end up with two 16-0 teams!
Although it is obvious, I'll let my only commenter explain why a regular season mark of 16-0 is a certain kiss of death in the playoffs.
If the Pats win this game they have a shot at a bye. If they lose, they are are still looking to all but wrap-up the division the next week in Miami. It's not a meaningless game by far, but in the grand scheme of things, a loss is just one loss It doesn't mean much to either team's playoff hopes.
It's difficult to analyze how the two teams stack up. The Pats are by far the better defensive team. Only one other division leader's defense (San Diego) has performed more poorly than New Orleans.
The Saints look to be winners purely on their offensive numbers -- one that could challenge several of New England's 2007 records. But how much of this is a good team made to look like the greatest offensive team in history by their schedule?
The Patriots should win with the best defense the Saints will see all year -- second only to Indianapolis.
The odds makers are all over the map with this one. I predict the Pats by four points.
My Prediction
Pats 37
Saints 33
Thursday, November 26, 2009
It's Doug Flutie Day!
Not only is New England known for inventing Thanksgiving, but it's also known for Doug Flutie.
It was 25 years ago today (November 26th, 1984) that former Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie threw the legendary Hail Mary pass to receiver Gerard Phelan (Yes, remember him? Great catch Gerard!) to give the Eagles a thrilling 47-45 last-second win over the University of Miami.
Flutie graduated from Natick High School the same year that I graduated from Framingham North. Just think, if I had actually played football in high school I could tell everyone that I played against Flutie every time the Hail Mary pass is mentioned. Too bad I didn't play football. It robs me of the opportunity to live in the shadow of a living legend.
It's only fitting though. I had no idea who Doug Flutie was until that pass. I didn't even watch the game. It would have been fun though to have been in an Irish Bar in Boston watching the last seconds of that game (as one of my roommates in college claims he in fact was).
Flutie says that a day hasn't gone by since 1984 when someone hasn't mentioned it to him at least once. Although many people think that the Hail Mary pass clinched the Heisman Trophy for Flutie, the voting was already completed before that game.
Flutie still lives in Natick where he has a special room in his house just to display his Heisman Trophy. A motion censor lights the trophy whenever anyone enters the room. I kid you not. While that might seem egomaniacal to some, you have to remember that ... well it is sort of egomaniacal, isn't it?
He went on to play backup quarterback for the Bears and the Patriots for five years (including the 1986 Bears team that beat the Patriots in the Superbowl). He left for the Canadian Football league where he, as a starting quarterback, set all kinds of records and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Finally, he ended up with the hated Buffalo Bills, but remained so popular in New England that Pats fans would cheer for him when he played in Foxborough.
Flutie led the Bills to a 10–5 record in 1999 but, in a controversial decision, was replaced by Rob Johnson for the playoffs by coach Wade Phillips. The Bills have not appeared in a playoff game since and some say this is due to the "Flutie Curse."
He moved on to the Chargers and ended his career playing for the Patriots as the back-up quarterback to Tom Brady in 2005. During Flutie's career, the New England Patriots made it to the Super Bowl four times, but Flutie was not on any of those teams. What a travesty.
Other Trivia About Flutie
In his last season with the Patriots, a December 26, 2005 game against the Jets, Flutie was sent in late in the game. The Jets also sent in their back-up quarterback, Vinny Testaverde. This was the first time in NFL history that two quarterbacks over the age of 40 competed against each other (Testaverde was 42, Flutie was 43).
In the Patriots' regular-season finale against Miami on January 1, 2006, Flutie was sent in as the back-up quarterback for a seeming conversion play. Instead, Flutie successfully drop kicked a football for an extra point, something that had not been done in a regular-season NFL game since 1941. It was his last play in the NFL. For some strange reason I am more impressed with that than with the Hail Mary pass.
Although many people assume he is a New England born Irishman, he was actually born in Maryland to Lebanese parents. They moved to Melbourne Beach, Florida when he was six. They lived there until the space program slow-down in 1976 brought the family to Natick.
He plays drums in his brother's rock band -- the Flutie Brothers Band.
He played drums in the rock group Boston's tribute to their deceased drummer Brad Delp.
For years, the traffic congestion between Shpper''s World in Framingham and the Natick Mall was horrendous. No one understood why they couldn't just connect the two parking lots. The two towns could never agree on the zoning for some weird reason. When the Natick Mall was torn down and rebuilt, they built a road, "Flutie Pass."
It was 25 years ago today (November 26th, 1984) that former Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie threw the legendary Hail Mary pass to receiver Gerard Phelan (Yes, remember him? Great catch Gerard!) to give the Eagles a thrilling 47-45 last-second win over the University of Miami.
Flutie graduated from Natick High School the same year that I graduated from Framingham North. Just think, if I had actually played football in high school I could tell everyone that I played against Flutie every time the Hail Mary pass is mentioned. Too bad I didn't play football. It robs me of the opportunity to live in the shadow of a living legend.
It's only fitting though. I had no idea who Doug Flutie was until that pass. I didn't even watch the game. It would have been fun though to have been in an Irish Bar in Boston watching the last seconds of that game (as one of my roommates in college claims he in fact was).
Flutie says that a day hasn't gone by since 1984 when someone hasn't mentioned it to him at least once. Although many people think that the Hail Mary pass clinched the Heisman Trophy for Flutie, the voting was already completed before that game.
Flutie still lives in Natick where he has a special room in his house just to display his Heisman Trophy. A motion censor lights the trophy whenever anyone enters the room. I kid you not. While that might seem egomaniacal to some, you have to remember that ... well it is sort of egomaniacal, isn't it?
He went on to play backup quarterback for the Bears and the Patriots for five years (including the 1986 Bears team that beat the Patriots in the Superbowl). He left for the Canadian Football league where he, as a starting quarterback, set all kinds of records and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Finally, he ended up with the hated Buffalo Bills, but remained so popular in New England that Pats fans would cheer for him when he played in Foxborough.
Flutie led the Bills to a 10–5 record in 1999 but, in a controversial decision, was replaced by Rob Johnson for the playoffs by coach Wade Phillips. The Bills have not appeared in a playoff game since and some say this is due to the "Flutie Curse."
He moved on to the Chargers and ended his career playing for the Patriots as the back-up quarterback to Tom Brady in 2005. During Flutie's career, the New England Patriots made it to the Super Bowl four times, but Flutie was not on any of those teams. What a travesty.
Other Trivia About Flutie
In his last season with the Patriots, a December 26, 2005 game against the Jets, Flutie was sent in late in the game. The Jets also sent in their back-up quarterback, Vinny Testaverde. This was the first time in NFL history that two quarterbacks over the age of 40 competed against each other (Testaverde was 42, Flutie was 43).
In the Patriots' regular-season finale against Miami on January 1, 2006, Flutie was sent in as the back-up quarterback for a seeming conversion play. Instead, Flutie successfully drop kicked a football for an extra point, something that had not been done in a regular-season NFL game since 1941. It was his last play in the NFL. For some strange reason I am more impressed with that than with the Hail Mary pass.
Although many people assume he is a New England born Irishman, he was actually born in Maryland to Lebanese parents. They moved to Melbourne Beach, Florida when he was six. They lived there until the space program slow-down in 1976 brought the family to Natick.
He plays drums in his brother's rock band -- the Flutie Brothers Band.
He played drums in the rock group Boston's tribute to their deceased drummer Brad Delp.
For years, the traffic congestion between Shpper''s World in Framingham and the Natick Mall was horrendous. No one understood why they couldn't just connect the two parking lots. The two towns could never agree on the zoning for some weird reason. When the Natick Mall was torn down and rebuilt, they built a road, "Flutie Pass."
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 11
I predicted - Pats 28 Colts 24
Final score - Colts 35 Pats 34
There is so much to say about that game. Missed my own spread by five points, but it seems like a lot more. The loss means only that the Patriots went from having a slim chance to virtually no chance to win the number one seed in the playoffs. A win against the Colts would have necessitated the Pats picking up another game on the Colts, which I didn't see as likely. So now the Patriots' goal is to win the division by finishing 13-3, hopefully grabbing a number two seed and a resulting bye week in the playoffs. That's a scenario any fan would have gladly taken after week two's embarrassing loss to the Jets.
Accordingly, a lot of people are calling this the "revenge game." I don't think the Jets deserve that much respect. The Patriots will end the Jets postseason hopes with an easy win. The odds makers have the Pats by 10 points. No problem. In fact, triple that. The Pats by 30 points. The offense has hit its stride in the last few games. The week two loss to the Jets had Tom Brady unable to connect with Randy Moss. That doesn't look to be much of a problem anymore.
The Jets do still have a good running game and should score a couple of times. But I see New England scoring early and often. Is 28 points before the second half too optimistic? We will see. Although Brady's stats have been ridiculously amazing in the past three weeks, I think that they will mix it up a bit more and use the running game as well, especially after getting a comfortable lead.
My prediction:
Pats 44
Jets 14
Final score - Colts 35 Pats 34
There is so much to say about that game. Missed my own spread by five points, but it seems like a lot more. The loss means only that the Patriots went from having a slim chance to virtually no chance to win the number one seed in the playoffs. A win against the Colts would have necessitated the Pats picking up another game on the Colts, which I didn't see as likely. So now the Patriots' goal is to win the division by finishing 13-3, hopefully grabbing a number two seed and a resulting bye week in the playoffs. That's a scenario any fan would have gladly taken after week two's embarrassing loss to the Jets.
Accordingly, a lot of people are calling this the "revenge game." I don't think the Jets deserve that much respect. The Patriots will end the Jets postseason hopes with an easy win. The odds makers have the Pats by 10 points. No problem. In fact, triple that. The Pats by 30 points. The offense has hit its stride in the last few games. The week two loss to the Jets had Tom Brady unable to connect with Randy Moss. That doesn't look to be much of a problem anymore.
The Jets do still have a good running game and should score a couple of times. But I see New England scoring early and often. Is 28 points before the second half too optimistic? We will see. Although Brady's stats have been ridiculously amazing in the past three weeks, I think that they will mix it up a bit more and use the running game as well, especially after getting a comfortable lead.
My prediction:
Pats 44
Jets 14
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 10
Week 9 Review
I predicted - Pats 35 Dolphins 10
Final score - Pats 27 Dolphins 17
New England has outscored opponents by a combined 121-24 in the last three games!
This was a game that never seemed close even when the Dolphins were ahead by a point in the second half. One got that feeling that Brady-Moss could explode for two or three touchdowns in a row. Still my prediction was off by a touchdown in either direction. The Dolphins always seem to unveil new offensive plays when facing the Pats. This time it was the "pistol" formation, which was formerly used mainly in college games.
With the offense now on-line, the rest of the Pats 2009 season will look like the 2007 all-time record setting team. More importantly, this was a must win for Miami if they wanted to reach the playoffs. Playing in Florida later in the season won't be as much fun if the division is decided. The Pats at that point will be competing for seeding and it could be a rout.
The Patriots are now the second ranked team in defense. At the beginning of the season, conventional wisdom said that the air attack would more than make up for a questionable defense. Ironically, it has been the most consistent part of the Pats' game. Brady has put together three solid outings in a row.
The Patriots have the momentum going into this game, but with the Pats-Colts anything can happen. The Colts represent the toughest challenge of the year. The two teams are evenly matched. One could argue the Colts numbers are inflated due to the teams they have played thus far. he Pats have to finish off two undefeated teams and beat the Jets. If they go 2-1, then the rest of the season looks like gravy. Still the Colts are the best team in the NFL on paper. The winner of this game has to be considered the Superbowl favorite.
Patriots-Colts games are always great football, they are the only two teams to have greater than a .700 winning percentage since 2001, so no matter what the outcome, this is one to be savored. It's a fitting way to enter the second half of the season. Is there really a greater rivalry in the NFL?
My prediction:
Pats - 28
Colts - 24
I predicted - Pats 35 Dolphins 10
Final score - Pats 27 Dolphins 17
New England has outscored opponents by a combined 121-24 in the last three games!
This was a game that never seemed close even when the Dolphins were ahead by a point in the second half. One got that feeling that Brady-Moss could explode for two or three touchdowns in a row. Still my prediction was off by a touchdown in either direction. The Dolphins always seem to unveil new offensive plays when facing the Pats. This time it was the "pistol" formation, which was formerly used mainly in college games.
With the offense now on-line, the rest of the Pats 2009 season will look like the 2007 all-time record setting team. More importantly, this was a must win for Miami if they wanted to reach the playoffs. Playing in Florida later in the season won't be as much fun if the division is decided. The Pats at that point will be competing for seeding and it could be a rout.
The Patriots are now the second ranked team in defense. At the beginning of the season, conventional wisdom said that the air attack would more than make up for a questionable defense. Ironically, it has been the most consistent part of the Pats' game. Brady has put together three solid outings in a row.
The Patriots have the momentum going into this game, but with the Pats-Colts anything can happen. The Colts represent the toughest challenge of the year. The two teams are evenly matched. One could argue the Colts numbers are inflated due to the teams they have played thus far. he Pats have to finish off two undefeated teams and beat the Jets. If they go 2-1, then the rest of the season looks like gravy. Still the Colts are the best team in the NFL on paper. The winner of this game has to be considered the Superbowl favorite.
Patriots-Colts games are always great football, they are the only two teams to have greater than a .700 winning percentage since 2001, so no matter what the outcome, this is one to be savored. It's a fitting way to enter the second half of the season. Is there really a greater rivalry in the NFL?
My prediction:
Pats - 28
Colts - 24
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 9
Week 7 Review
I predicted - Pats 35 Bucs 9
Final score - Pats 35 Bucs 7
Not enough time to write much else.
Disclosure: It's already 3-0 Dolphins as I write this.
This week:
Patriots 35
Dolphins 10
I predicted - Pats 35 Bucs 9
Final score - Pats 35 Bucs 7
Not enough time to write much else.
Disclosure: It's already 3-0 Dolphins as I write this.
This week:
Patriots 35
Dolphins 10
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Best Sports City in North America? - It's Boston!
New York City currently has 47 major professional sports world championships.
Boston is second with 31.
Montreal is third with 26.
Then consider that the metro area of New York is 18.8 million, while Boston's metro area is 4.4 million and Montreal's metro area is 3.8 million.
It's a testimony to which city's fans are the most supportive per capita.
This is from: http://www.nuttyaboutsports.com/best-championship-city.shtml
When considering which city can rightfully lay claim to being the best sports city in North America, New York City almost immediately pops into everyone's mind. New York sports teams have won the most championships of any city in North America (47 in all).
When you look at it a little bit closer, however, New York may not be able to rightfully claim the title "Best Sports City in North America." New York currently has, and has had throughout its history, the most sports teams of any North American city. One would expect a city with that many teams to have won a few championships over the years. When you remove the New York Yankees from the equation - yes, I know that they are the most successful sports franchise in the history of professional sports - but, for the sake of argument let's look at New York without the Yankees. Without the Yankees' 26 championships, New York's sports accomplishments look much more modest (the 21 remaining championships would rank them third on the list of most championships).
So if we were to rule out New York, who else then, could lay claim to the "Best Sports City in North America"? A case could be made for Montreal, third on the list of most championships with 26. Even more impressive is that all of their championships have been garnered in a single sport - hockey (24 by the Canadiens, and 2 more by the Montreal Maroons). But it is the one dimensional nature of their championship accomplishment, impressive though it may be, that should eliminate them from consideration.
Where, then, does that leave us? It leaves us in the Bay State in the City of Boston. Boston is second on the list of cities with the most championships with 31. More impressive is that Boston's teams have won numerous championships in all four of the major North American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey). Boston's major sports teams rank at or near the top of each of their respective sports for the most championships (see below).
Boston Red Sox - 3rd with 7 World Series Championships
Boston Celtics - 1st with 16 NBA Championships
New England Patriots - 4th (tie) with 3 Super Bowl Championships
Boston Bruins - 4th (tie) with 5 Stanley Cup Championships
When you compare this to New York:
Sport ----------------- Boston ----------------- New York
Baseball -------------- Boston Red Sox - 3rd -- New York Yankees - 1st
-------------------------------------------------- New York Mets - 13th
Basketball ------------ Boston Celtics - 1st ----- New York Knicks - 7th
Football -------------- Patriots - 4th -------------New York Giants - 8th
-------------------------------------------------- New York Jets - 11th
Hockey -------------- Boston Bruins - 4th ------ New York Rangers - 6th
-------------------------------------------------- New York Islanders - 6th (tie)
The Boston team rankings range from 1st through 4th, while the New York team rankings range from 1st through 13th. Each city has a team that has the most championships in their respective sport (the Celtics and the Yankees). After that, Boston ranks 4th in football versus 8th and 11th for the Giants and Jets, and 4th in Hockey versus a tie for 6th for the Islanders and the Rangers. The average championship rank for New York's teams is over 7 while the average rank for Boston's teams is 3rd.
One final way of looking at this issue is the average number of championships per team. Boston's 4 current teams* have a collective 30 championships, or an average of 7.5 per team. New York's 7 current teams collectively have 41 championships for an average of 5.8 per team.
Clearly, both are great sports cities, but when it comes who is the "Best Sports City in North America," the answer is (drum roll please) - Boston, Massachusetts.
* Current teams refers to the number of teams in the four major sports - baseball, basketball, football, and hockey.
Boston is second with 31.
Montreal is third with 26.
Then consider that the metro area of New York is 18.8 million, while Boston's metro area is 4.4 million and Montreal's metro area is 3.8 million.
It's a testimony to which city's fans are the most supportive per capita.
This is from: http://www.nuttyaboutsports.com/best-championship-city.shtml
When considering which city can rightfully lay claim to being the best sports city in North America, New York City almost immediately pops into everyone's mind. New York sports teams have won the most championships of any city in North America (47 in all).
When you look at it a little bit closer, however, New York may not be able to rightfully claim the title "Best Sports City in North America." New York currently has, and has had throughout its history, the most sports teams of any North American city. One would expect a city with that many teams to have won a few championships over the years. When you remove the New York Yankees from the equation - yes, I know that they are the most successful sports franchise in the history of professional sports - but, for the sake of argument let's look at New York without the Yankees. Without the Yankees' 26 championships, New York's sports accomplishments look much more modest (the 21 remaining championships would rank them third on the list of most championships).
So if we were to rule out New York, who else then, could lay claim to the "Best Sports City in North America"? A case could be made for Montreal, third on the list of most championships with 26. Even more impressive is that all of their championships have been garnered in a single sport - hockey (24 by the Canadiens, and 2 more by the Montreal Maroons). But it is the one dimensional nature of their championship accomplishment, impressive though it may be, that should eliminate them from consideration.
Where, then, does that leave us? It leaves us in the Bay State in the City of Boston. Boston is second on the list of cities with the most championships with 31. More impressive is that Boston's teams have won numerous championships in all four of the major North American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey). Boston's major sports teams rank at or near the top of each of their respective sports for the most championships (see below).
Boston Red Sox - 3rd with 7 World Series Championships
Boston Celtics - 1st with 16 NBA Championships
New England Patriots - 4th (tie) with 3 Super Bowl Championships
Boston Bruins - 4th (tie) with 5 Stanley Cup Championships
When you compare this to New York:
Sport ----------------- Boston ----------------- New York
Baseball -------------- Boston Red Sox - 3rd -- New York Yankees - 1st
-------------------------------------------------- New York Mets - 13th
Basketball ------------ Boston Celtics - 1st ----- New York Knicks - 7th
Football -------------- Patriots - 4th -------------New York Giants - 8th
-------------------------------------------------- New York Jets - 11th
Hockey -------------- Boston Bruins - 4th ------ New York Rangers - 6th
-------------------------------------------------- New York Islanders - 6th (tie)
The Boston team rankings range from 1st through 4th, while the New York team rankings range from 1st through 13th. Each city has a team that has the most championships in their respective sport (the Celtics and the Yankees). After that, Boston ranks 4th in football versus 8th and 11th for the Giants and Jets, and 4th in Hockey versus a tie for 6th for the Islanders and the Rangers. The average championship rank for New York's teams is over 7 while the average rank for Boston's teams is 3rd.
One final way of looking at this issue is the average number of championships per team. Boston's 4 current teams* have a collective 30 championships, or an average of 7.5 per team. New York's 7 current teams collectively have 41 championships for an average of 5.8 per team.
Clearly, both are great sports cities, but when it comes who is the "Best Sports City in North America," the answer is (drum roll please) - Boston, Massachusetts.
* Current teams refers to the number of teams in the four major sports - baseball, basketball, football, and hockey.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Patriots Report: Bye Week
In a stunning upset Bye has beaten the Patriots by a shut out. Coach Slough of team Bye said: "It is fair to say that the Patriots underestimated us. I think they were taking us for granted when the Patriots didn't field any of their starters."
Despite an uneventful first half, the tide turned in the second half when the Byes held New England to zero yards offense both on the ground and in the air. Never before in the history of the Patriots have they been held to zero yards.
Bill Belichek had this to say: "We were unable to get any spy film footage of the Byes and therefore we never knew how to prepare. It was like we didn't even show up for the game. We are shocked by this. Honestly we thought we could coast through the weekend and save some of our banged up players. Team Bye couldn't even beat a high school team. We just didn't see it coming."
Heading into next week Belichek vented his sour grapes.... "This was the worst officiated game I have ever seen. They were totally absent minded with their calls. They didn't even get the coin toss correct."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell dismissed calls for suspected game fixing. "As far as we can tell nothing suspicious happened on the field even though Vegas bookmakers made huge payouts to Ben Bernanke."
No comments were available at press time as Mr. Bernanke's office refused to return our calls. High level un-named sources told us: "Ben is used to money from nothing. It is not unusual for him to profit in this manner."
When pressed further our source did admit that Bernie Madoff expressed severe jealousy as did Michael Astrue the Social Security Commissioner who confessed: "We have been doing transactions like this for years. It now seems that others have discovered our technique. Not the least of which are the Byes who have managed to prevail with nothing. Until now only a select few have been able to prevail with nothing. We are very concerned. They could even win the Super Bowl. Nothing can stop them now."
Despite an uneventful first half, the tide turned in the second half when the Byes held New England to zero yards offense both on the ground and in the air. Never before in the history of the Patriots have they been held to zero yards.
Bill Belichek had this to say: "We were unable to get any spy film footage of the Byes and therefore we never knew how to prepare. It was like we didn't even show up for the game. We are shocked by this. Honestly we thought we could coast through the weekend and save some of our banged up players. Team Bye couldn't even beat a high school team. We just didn't see it coming."
Heading into next week Belichek vented his sour grapes.... "This was the worst officiated game I have ever seen. They were totally absent minded with their calls. They didn't even get the coin toss correct."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell dismissed calls for suspected game fixing. "As far as we can tell nothing suspicious happened on the field even though Vegas bookmakers made huge payouts to Ben Bernanke."
No comments were available at press time as Mr. Bernanke's office refused to return our calls. High level un-named sources told us: "Ben is used to money from nothing. It is not unusual for him to profit in this manner."
When pressed further our source did admit that Bernie Madoff expressed severe jealousy as did Michael Astrue the Social Security Commissioner who confessed: "We have been doing transactions like this for years. It now seems that others have discovered our technique. Not the least of which are the Byes who have managed to prevail with nothing. Until now only a select few have been able to prevail with nothing. We are very concerned. They could even win the Super Bowl. Nothing can stop them now."
Monday, October 19, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 6 & 7
I didn't make any crazy predictions last week about the Pats/Titans game. It's a good thing too, because I would have come up with something like Pat 38-10.
And then how embarrassing would that have been?
The greatest shutout in post-merger NFL history -- 59-0. All that happened by the third quarter -- a record. Most points in a half -- 45-0. Most points in a quarter -- 35-0.
And on and on we could go. Too many firsts to count. In fact, this game may hold the record for the most records. It could have been a 90-0 game, if Belichek hadn't shown his well-known sensitive side.
The largest shutout in NFL history was in the 1940 NFL Championship game when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins 73-0. If it were me, I would have gone for the record. "Why not? We are here and in uniform." That's what I would have said.
It makes up for the time I sat on a cold metal bench on New Year's Eve in 1978 and watched the Pats lose to the same team (then called the Oilers) in a lopsided divisional playoff game. Fittingly, this game was played in an October snowstorm.
So next week the Patriots participate in the annual travesty known as the London Bowl where we ugly Americans try to force our stupid sports on Londoners and whoever else who happens to be unfortunate enough to watch the Pats beat up on another excuse for a once great professional sports franchise called the Bucs.
This time they may spot the opposing team some points simply so the Brits won't think we are bloody daft.
My Prediction:
Pats 35
Bucs 9
Then it's a bye-week and then it's on to Miami!
I challenged my Miami fan friend, Barack Abdul Ali to spring for two tickets, but offered to pay for both of them plus all gas if the Dolphins won. So far, he is cowering behind an automatic email reply message.
And then how embarrassing would that have been?
The greatest shutout in post-merger NFL history -- 59-0. All that happened by the third quarter -- a record. Most points in a half -- 45-0. Most points in a quarter -- 35-0.
And on and on we could go. Too many firsts to count. In fact, this game may hold the record for the most records. It could have been a 90-0 game, if Belichek hadn't shown his well-known sensitive side.
The largest shutout in NFL history was in the 1940 NFL Championship game when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins 73-0. If it were me, I would have gone for the record. "Why not? We are here and in uniform." That's what I would have said.
It makes up for the time I sat on a cold metal bench on New Year's Eve in 1978 and watched the Pats lose to the same team (then called the Oilers) in a lopsided divisional playoff game. Fittingly, this game was played in an October snowstorm.
So next week the Patriots participate in the annual travesty known as the London Bowl where we ugly Americans try to force our stupid sports on Londoners and whoever else who happens to be unfortunate enough to watch the Pats beat up on another excuse for a once great professional sports franchise called the Bucs.
This time they may spot the opposing team some points simply so the Brits won't think we are bloody daft.
My Prediction:
Pats 35
Bucs 9
Then it's a bye-week and then it's on to Miami!
I challenged my Miami fan friend, Barack Abdul Ali to spring for two tickets, but offered to pay for both of them plus all gas if the Dolphins won. So far, he is cowering behind an automatic email reply message.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 5
Last week --
I predicted - Ravens 21 Pats 20
Final score - Pats 27 Ravens 21
As Maxwell Smart would say, "Missed it by that much!"
Not a lot to say about the Broncos. The Broncos are undefeated and look to be a tough team to beat in Mile High Stadium. (I know it's not still called that exactly, but unless they are paying me or I like the product, I don't mention sponsors.)
The Broncos are good, but the Pats should have this one easily. Recent history shows that Belichek knows all their weaknesses. Brady should be back to form by the fifth game. The line is Pats by 3.5. I give them two touchdowns on top of that using my "Calgon ancient Chinese secret" method.
Then it gets easier after this week -- at least for few weeks.
THIS WEEK
Patriots 35
Broncos 17
UPDATE: The Red Sox season is over. Let's go Pats! Bruins! Celtics!
I predicted - Ravens 21 Pats 20
Final score - Pats 27 Ravens 21
As Maxwell Smart would say, "Missed it by that much!"
Not a lot to say about the Broncos. The Broncos are undefeated and look to be a tough team to beat in Mile High Stadium. (I know it's not still called that exactly, but unless they are paying me or I like the product, I don't mention sponsors.)
The Broncos are good, but the Pats should have this one easily. Recent history shows that Belichek knows all their weaknesses. Brady should be back to form by the fifth game. The line is Pats by 3.5. I give them two touchdowns on top of that using my "Calgon ancient Chinese secret" method.
Then it gets easier after this week -- at least for few weeks.
THIS WEEK
Patriots 35
Broncos 17
UPDATE: The Red Sox season is over. Let's go Pats! Bruins! Celtics!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 4
Last week's prediction.
I predicted - Pats 28 Falcons 14
Final score - Pats 26 Falcons 16
In my AFC East 2009/2010 preview, I wrote that in order to go to go 13-3, the Patriots would have to win one of four tough games, the Falcons being one of them. The unexpected loss to the Jets made me change my mind. The Ravens I did not count on being so good, so I am now reversing this one as well.
THIS WEEK
Ravens 21
Patriots 20
I'll admit this is a tough one. I haven't predicted that the Pats would lose in over two years. I've been right 29 out of 35 times. But this one has been nagging at me. I just don't like this match up at this time.
I didn't see the Ravens as being such a strong team, but they are better than the Pats at this point in the season. Their defense has been stellar and Tom Brady isn't clicking on all cylinders yet. So I must predict a loss.
The Jets will probably win against New Orleans, which means that the Pats will be down two games come Monday.
Ouch!
Two things could reverse that scenario.
1. The Pats defense, which has been much better than expected, could hold the Ravens to one touchdown.
2. Brady could have his inevitable break-out game.
That's all they have to do. Hold the opposition to one touchdown per game and with "Brady being Brady," they'll go undefeated all the way through Superbowl XLIV.
But a loss tomorrow is not the end of the season. This is going to be a classic and exciting New England team that will mature and improve as the season wears on.
I predicted - Pats 28 Falcons 14
Final score - Pats 26 Falcons 16
In my AFC East 2009/2010 preview, I wrote that in order to go to go 13-3, the Patriots would have to win one of four tough games, the Falcons being one of them. The unexpected loss to the Jets made me change my mind. The Ravens I did not count on being so good, so I am now reversing this one as well.
THIS WEEK
Ravens 21
Patriots 20
I'll admit this is a tough one. I haven't predicted that the Pats would lose in over two years. I've been right 29 out of 35 times. But this one has been nagging at me. I just don't like this match up at this time.
I didn't see the Ravens as being such a strong team, but they are better than the Pats at this point in the season. Their defense has been stellar and Tom Brady isn't clicking on all cylinders yet. So I must predict a loss.
The Jets will probably win against New Orleans, which means that the Pats will be down two games come Monday.
Ouch!
Two things could reverse that scenario.
1. The Pats defense, which has been much better than expected, could hold the Ravens to one touchdown.
2. Brady could have his inevitable break-out game.
That's all they have to do. Hold the opposition to one touchdown per game and with "Brady being Brady," they'll go undefeated all the way through Superbowl XLIV.
But a loss tomorrow is not the end of the season. This is going to be a classic and exciting New England team that will mature and improve as the season wears on.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Star Wars Part VII - How The East Was Bought
It is a dark day for the Republic ...
The Dark Lord's son, Hank Steinvader
has opened the vast treasury of the Empire
and has refitted his fleet with twice as much
fire-power as the Republican forces. But is Evil
ever truly a match for the light side of the Force?
A beleaguered Republican army has vowed to fight!
With his courageous pilots, Beckett and Lester, the last
Jedi, Daisuke, leads his faithful droids, P3DR0A and UUU! -
and two ancient yet resilient Wookie clones - Papi and Knuckleball.
Before a last desperate assault against Death Star X, our brave heroes
must defeat a formidable legion on the distant smog planet of the Angels ...
Payrolls and Championships
The two tier team payroll structure in baseball is a reality for teams who want to compete for a playoff spot in October. This year, there is a new category in the Yankees who still top the salary cap of $200,000 despite the recession. The bloated Evil Empire has just bought its 10th division title in 12 years despite failing to sell-out its overpriced box seats in the new Yankee Stadium, "the house that Hank built."
The stark fact remains that teams who want to make the playoffs must shell out at least $100,000 in player salaries, especially in the American League. The two notable exceptions this year are the Rockies and the Cardinals, two National League teams that reached the World Series three times in the past five years, the Rockies in 2007, and the Cardinals losing in 2004, but winning it all in 2005.
American League Playoff Teams
Eastern Division - New York Yankees
Central Division - Detroit Tigers or Minnesota Twins
Western Division - Los Angeles Angels
Wild Card - Boston Red Sox
National League Playoff Teams
Eastern Division - Philadelphia Phillies
Central Division - St. Louis Cardinals
Western Division - Los Angeles Dodgers
Wild Card - Colorado Rockies
2009 MLB payrolls
Yankees $201,449,289
Mets $135,773,988
Cubs $135,050,000
Red Sox $122,696,000
Tigers $115,085,145
Angels $113,709,000
Phillies $113,004,048
Astros $102,996,415
Dodgers $100,458,101
Mariners $98,904,167
Braves $96,726,167
White Sox $96,068,500
Cardinals $88,528,411
Giants $82,161,450
Indians $81,625,567
Blue Jays $80,993,657
Brewers $79,857,502
Rockies $75,201,000
D-backs $73,571,667
Reds $70,968,500
Royals $70,908,333
Rangers $68,646,023
Orioles $67,101,667
Twins $65,299,267
Rays $63,313,035
Athletics $62,310,000
Nationals $59,328,000
Pirates $48,743,000
Padres $42,796,700
Marlins $36,814,000
Mets $135,773,988
Cubs $135,050,000
Red Sox $122,696,000
Tigers $115,085,145
Angels $113,709,000
Phillies $113,004,048
Astros $102,996,415
Dodgers $100,458,101
Mariners $98,904,167
Braves $96,726,167
White Sox $96,068,500
Cardinals $88,528,411
Giants $82,161,450
Indians $81,625,567
Blue Jays $80,993,657
Brewers $79,857,502
Rockies $75,201,000
D-backs $73,571,667
Reds $70,968,500
Royals $70,908,333
Rangers $68,646,023
Orioles $67,101,667
Twins $65,299,267
Rays $63,313,035
Athletics $62,310,000
Nationals $59,328,000
Pirates $48,743,000
Padres $42,796,700
Marlins $36,814,000
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 3
Not much time to do this one.
First, last week's prediction.
I predicted - Pats 28 Jets 14
Final score - Pats 9 Jets 16
Just three more touchdowns and I would have been right on! Amazing! Just one touchdown would have been nice.
THIS WEEK
Patriots 28
Falcons 14
I know you are thinking, "Hey wait a minute! That's the same score you predicted last week!"
The conventional wisdom is the Pats by 4 points. That is not going to happen in Foxboro. There is something to prove. The game could be described as a match-up of underachievers vs. overachievers.
Offensively, the Patriots look to many to be a shambles. I see this as the game where Tom Brady steps up with a little more quickness and precision. Four touchdowns easily.
Defensively, a lot has been made of the four major departures. I don't really see much of a difference in terms of stats. The Jets scored just one touchdown last week.
The most obvious adjustment they should make is running the ball a bit more. That ought to exploit an Atlanta team that is now without defensive tackle Jeria Perry.
The Pats haven't lost back-to-back games in 41 weeks. New England has won 15 straight regular-season games against NFC opponents going back to 2005. I tried to find the NFL record on that one to no avail. No doubt football expert Barack Abdul Ali will know that one off the top of his head. Barack!?
Here's an interesting trivia tidbit: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 2007 Patriots became the first American pro sports team to open a season with 18 straight victories in more than 100 years, dating back to baseball's Union Association in 1884.
First, last week's prediction.
I predicted - Pats 28 Jets 14
Final score - Pats 9 Jets 16
Just three more touchdowns and I would have been right on! Amazing! Just one touchdown would have been nice.
THIS WEEK
Patriots 28
Falcons 14
I know you are thinking, "Hey wait a minute! That's the same score you predicted last week!"
The conventional wisdom is the Pats by 4 points. That is not going to happen in Foxboro. There is something to prove. The game could be described as a match-up of underachievers vs. overachievers.
Offensively, the Patriots look to many to be a shambles. I see this as the game where Tom Brady steps up with a little more quickness and precision. Four touchdowns easily.
Defensively, a lot has been made of the four major departures. I don't really see much of a difference in terms of stats. The Jets scored just one touchdown last week.
The most obvious adjustment they should make is running the ball a bit more. That ought to exploit an Atlanta team that is now without defensive tackle Jeria Perry.
The Pats haven't lost back-to-back games in 41 weeks. New England has won 15 straight regular-season games against NFC opponents going back to 2005. I tried to find the NFL record on that one to no avail. No doubt football expert Barack Abdul Ali will know that one off the top of his head. Barack!?
Here's an interesting trivia tidbit: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 2007 Patriots became the first American pro sports team to open a season with 18 straight victories in more than 100 years, dating back to baseball's Union Association in 1884.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
"Yeah, but can Brady throw under pressure?"
I always like it when someone takes a professional athlete who is statistically the best in his position and says, "Yeah, but can he do this!"
There's an old Woody Allen movie in which the female lead is raving about some handsome, strong, perfect hero of a guy. Then wimpy-looking Woody asks, "But can he do this?" while doing a contorted dance movement that no one would ever need to do unless he had to.
That scene has been replayed in my mind countless times when after I wax poetic about the Patriots great achievements of this decade and then my friend Barack Abdul-Ali pulls out the meaningless sack statistic. Sacks are meaningful in any given game, just as interceptions, turnovers, quarterback hurries and third down conversions are meaningful. However, sacks are meaningful only if you can calculate ratios and outcomes, not simply raw numbers. The most sacked lifetime statistics belong to the greatest quarterbacks in history simply because they pass more often.
To put it more succinctly: Despite all of the hype, the defensive sack statistic on its own is a meaningless number, and only takes on real meaning when you put it into the context of pass attempts.
"Can he pass under pressure?" is another one. If a quarterback can always pass under pressure, it wouldn't be much pressure to speak of would it? It also ignores the ability of a quarterback to stand and throw more effectively in the pocket as if that is somehow a lesser achievement.
It's like saying that Ted Williams couldn't hit balls out of the strike zone or that Larry Bird couldn't slam dunk.
"The greatest passer in the game can't pass under pressure."
It's nonsense!
Sometimes I think these things are thrown at me just to see if I am paying attention.
What matters with Brady are the statistics at this point in his career, his winning percentage, the total number of games won, and the number of Conference Championships and Superbowl rings.
Two bright spots to today's game ...
You could just sum it up today's game saying the Jets played better defense and better offense. And just barely if you look at the game stats. It's a tough loss in a game that the good guys were favored to win, so that doesn't look good on the surface. It was due to Brady missing a lot of times when he normally connects a lot of times. But there are two bright spots.
1. Brady isn't going to have any more games this year without a single touchdown.
So with this one out of their system, it's off to the races! Just like last year when I said Matt Cassell was "going to be just fine" after he lost a few games -- (Oh great Barack Abdul-Ali, keeper of the archive, you can look that one up!) -- I am going to go way out on a limb here and say that Brady is going to be back to form really soon and we'll start seeing a few of those five to eight touchdown games again.
2. The Pats' defense, thought to be the weakest point of a solid team, also looked good.
Pat's fans are going to panic in the meantime. Although disappointing that Brady couldn't throw just one touchdown pass to tie the game -- like everyone was sure he would -- it isn't a concern in the grand scheme of the 14 games to come. It's just an anomaly.
There's an old Woody Allen movie in which the female lead is raving about some handsome, strong, perfect hero of a guy. Then wimpy-looking Woody asks, "But can he do this?" while doing a contorted dance movement that no one would ever need to do unless he had to.
That scene has been replayed in my mind countless times when after I wax poetic about the Patriots great achievements of this decade and then my friend Barack Abdul-Ali pulls out the meaningless sack statistic. Sacks are meaningful in any given game, just as interceptions, turnovers, quarterback hurries and third down conversions are meaningful. However, sacks are meaningful only if you can calculate ratios and outcomes, not simply raw numbers. The most sacked lifetime statistics belong to the greatest quarterbacks in history simply because they pass more often.
To put it more succinctly: Despite all of the hype, the defensive sack statistic on its own is a meaningless number, and only takes on real meaning when you put it into the context of pass attempts.
"Can he pass under pressure?" is another one. If a quarterback can always pass under pressure, it wouldn't be much pressure to speak of would it? It also ignores the ability of a quarterback to stand and throw more effectively in the pocket as if that is somehow a lesser achievement.
It's like saying that Ted Williams couldn't hit balls out of the strike zone or that Larry Bird couldn't slam dunk.
"The greatest passer in the game can't pass under pressure."
It's nonsense!
Sometimes I think these things are thrown at me just to see if I am paying attention.
What matters with Brady are the statistics at this point in his career, his winning percentage, the total number of games won, and the number of Conference Championships and Superbowl rings.
Two bright spots to today's game ...
You could just sum it up today's game saying the Jets played better defense and better offense. And just barely if you look at the game stats. It's a tough loss in a game that the good guys were favored to win, so that doesn't look good on the surface. It was due to Brady missing a lot of times when he normally connects a lot of times. But there are two bright spots.
1. Brady isn't going to have any more games this year without a single touchdown.
So with this one out of their system, it's off to the races! Just like last year when I said Matt Cassell was "going to be just fine" after he lost a few games -- (Oh great Barack Abdul-Ali, keeper of the archive, you can look that one up!) -- I am going to go way out on a limb here and say that Brady is going to be back to form really soon and we'll start seeing a few of those five to eight touchdown games again.
2. The Pats' defense, thought to be the weakest point of a solid team, also looked good.
Pat's fans are going to panic in the meantime. Although disappointing that Brady couldn't throw just one touchdown pass to tie the game -- like everyone was sure he would -- it isn't a concern in the grand scheme of the 14 games to come. It's just an anomaly.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 2
LAST WEEK
I need to explain what happened in last week's prediction.
I predicted - Pats 38 Bills 21
Final score - Pats 25 Bills 24
I was off by two touchdowns. However, the Patriots were in the red zone twice and didn't score, which is something they rarely failed to do against Buffalo in the recent past, so the score easily could have been higher.
I was trying to decide if Tom Brady was just rusty in the first 57 minutes or if the Bills have better defense this year. In all, I think Buffalo is an improved team -- though one that New England could have beaten handily if Brady were in mid-season form. I am sticking with my prediction that the Bills will finish second and will have an outside shot at the wild card.
THIS WEEK
The Jets are underdogs on their own turf. Their response? "Let's embarrass them!" Bob Ryan has a fun commentary on the border wars below.
The official line is Pats by 4 points and a total of 45 points.
Four points? Give me a break! I think the point total is about accurate, but it will be the Pats by two touchdowns. With the cobwebs blown off, it should be an entertaining passing show for Brady as always.
Patriots 28
Jets 14
I need to explain what happened in last week's prediction.
I predicted - Pats 38 Bills 21
Final score - Pats 25 Bills 24
I was off by two touchdowns. However, the Patriots were in the red zone twice and didn't score, which is something they rarely failed to do against Buffalo in the recent past, so the score easily could have been higher.
I was trying to decide if Tom Brady was just rusty in the first 57 minutes or if the Bills have better defense this year. In all, I think Buffalo is an improved team -- though one that New England could have beaten handily if Brady were in mid-season form. I am sticking with my prediction that the Bills will finish second and will have an outside shot at the wild card.
THIS WEEK
The Jets are underdogs on their own turf. Their response? "Let's embarrass them!" Bob Ryan has a fun commentary on the border wars below.
The official line is Pats by 4 points and a total of 45 points.
Four points? Give me a break! I think the point total is about accurate, but it will be the Pats by two touchdowns. With the cobwebs blown off, it should be an entertaining passing show for Brady as always.
Patriots 28
Jets 14
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Patriots Report: Week 1
This is a hard one, but I'll go out on a limb. Patriots put 28 quick points on the board and sit Brady the second half. He is listed on the DL with a bad shoulder after all. More of a concern in the first few weeks than the knee. Bills come back to score three times in the second half. Once during garbage time. Pats fans panic over "shoddy defense." At the end of the day, Pats are the only undefeated team in the AFC East.
PATS - 38
BILLS - 21
PATS - 38
BILLS - 21
Dan Marino on Tom Brady
"I’ve been in that position before, having to come off injuries, and I believe he’s going to come out smoking, I really do believe it. He’s going to want to prove something, and I don’t care what happened in the preseason, the preseason is overrated. When he comes out there for the first game, he’ll be ready and rolling."
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Patriots Report: 2009/2010 AFC East Predictions
In the last two years, I correctly predicted the exact number of games the Patriots would win in the regular season. If I were a gambling man, I could be a millionaire by now.
I annoyed Dolphins and Bills fans by sending them a "Weekly Patriots Report" (which was often about the Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox as well) proclaiming the just and rightful superiority of all sports New England. I went against all conventional wisdom and predicted the Pats would go undefeated in the regular season in 2007 (of course I said that in 2006 as well). I also claimed the Giants are rightfully the "New Jersey Giants" because they are the only team in the world (with the exception of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) that has the audacity not to name themselves after where they play. And now I humbly have to admit that I didn't see them or the hapless Dolphins coming.
This year is going to be different. If February to December 2008 was Paradise Lost, 2009/2010 will be Paradise Restored. Mark it down. My public record for the regular season is impeccable up to this point. I began this blog for this very reason. Without the few friends who received my weekly email report, there would be no one to confirm my uncanny accuracy. If only I had started this blog two years ago, I might have gathered quite a following by now.
But if you are a gambler, don't listen to anything I say. I can't be perfect forever.
Or so the theory goes.
2009/2010 AFC East Predictions
People think the AFC East is a pretty strong division, but the results last year were skewed by two losses of the Patriots to New York and Miami. This season, the schedule is tougher for the Jets and the Dolphins, but easier for the Patriots. Each team in the AFC East plays four very tough teams in the NFC South and the AFC South. I see these as almost sure losses for every team in the AFC East except the Pats.
New England 13-3
The Pats will better be two games better than last year's 11-5 mark. In fact, I am tempted to put them at 16-0 again, but realism tells me that even the best team is going to lose a few. There is a likely chance that they will post similar offensive numbers as 2007/08. The big question is their defense. But barring injuries, they should be considered a lock for the post-season.
Buffalo 9-7
I see Buffalo as under-performing last season mainly due to injuries late in the season. They'll take three of six games within their own division and will manage to win five more somewhere else. And they'll have a shot at the Wild Card. Whoo Hoo!
Miami 7-9
Ironically, their Achilles' heel is going to be their unexpected success of last year. After finishing last in 2007, the Dolphins played two last place teams in 2008. It's also telling that they eked out narrow wins in several games against truly bad teams. This year, they will lose big against two allotted first place opponents. They also will drop both games to the Pats who will be hyped up for revenge. Everyone has Miami as the outside threat to win the AFC East. But with the uncertain quarterback situation, I think I am being generous to predict only 9 losses.
New York 7-9
Sadly, the Jets handed the Dolphins the division in the last game against Miami last season. When they realized they were mathematically eliminated, they turned a game they still had a shot to win into a joke. I don't believe in karma in sports, but I am making an exception here.
Patriots Schedule Schedule 2009
I'll make a prediction about the first game later this week. Buffalo at home should be a blow-out. But by how much? I'll tell you later. Then week by week, I'll give a final score prediction. For now, I've marked the four tough games I think they could lose in red. I think they'll win at least one of these and have no problem with the rest of their schedule. As I wrote above, these are four very tough teams. But then again, the Pats will be favored in at least three of these games because they play at home.
Something bothers me about the away game against Houston at the very end. If the Pats have their seeding all wrapped up by that date, it could mean a game to start their secondary.
Week 1 -- 9/14 -- vs. Buf
Week 2 -- 9/20 -- @ NYJ
Week 3 -- 9/27 -- vs. Atl
Week 4 -- 10/4 -- vs. Bal
Week 5 -- 10/11 -- @ Den
Week 6 -- 10/18 -- vs. Ten
Week 7 -- 10/25 -- @ TB
Week 8 -- Bye Week
Week 9 -- 11/8 -- vs. Mia
10 -- 11/15 @ Ind
11 -- 11/22 -- vs. NYJ
12 -- 11/30 -- @ NO
13 -- 12/6 -- @ Mia
14 -- 12/13 -- vs. Car
15 -- 12/20 -- @ Buf
16 -- 12/27 -- vs. Jac
17 -- 1/3 -- @ Hou
I annoyed Dolphins and Bills fans by sending them a "Weekly Patriots Report" (which was often about the Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox as well) proclaiming the just and rightful superiority of all sports New England. I went against all conventional wisdom and predicted the Pats would go undefeated in the regular season in 2007 (of course I said that in 2006 as well). I also claimed the Giants are rightfully the "New Jersey Giants" because they are the only team in the world (with the exception of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) that has the audacity not to name themselves after where they play. And now I humbly have to admit that I didn't see them or the hapless Dolphins coming.
This year is going to be different. If February to December 2008 was Paradise Lost, 2009/2010 will be Paradise Restored. Mark it down. My public record for the regular season is impeccable up to this point. I began this blog for this very reason. Without the few friends who received my weekly email report, there would be no one to confirm my uncanny accuracy. If only I had started this blog two years ago, I might have gathered quite a following by now.
But if you are a gambler, don't listen to anything I say. I can't be perfect forever.
Or so the theory goes.
2009/2010 AFC East Predictions
People think the AFC East is a pretty strong division, but the results last year were skewed by two losses of the Patriots to New York and Miami. This season, the schedule is tougher for the Jets and the Dolphins, but easier for the Patriots. Each team in the AFC East plays four very tough teams in the NFC South and the AFC South. I see these as almost sure losses for every team in the AFC East except the Pats.
New England 13-3
The Pats will better be two games better than last year's 11-5 mark. In fact, I am tempted to put them at 16-0 again, but realism tells me that even the best team is going to lose a few. There is a likely chance that they will post similar offensive numbers as 2007/08. The big question is their defense. But barring injuries, they should be considered a lock for the post-season.
Buffalo 9-7
I see Buffalo as under-performing last season mainly due to injuries late in the season. They'll take three of six games within their own division and will manage to win five more somewhere else. And they'll have a shot at the Wild Card. Whoo Hoo!
Miami 7-9
Ironically, their Achilles' heel is going to be their unexpected success of last year. After finishing last in 2007, the Dolphins played two last place teams in 2008. It's also telling that they eked out narrow wins in several games against truly bad teams. This year, they will lose big against two allotted first place opponents. They also will drop both games to the Pats who will be hyped up for revenge. Everyone has Miami as the outside threat to win the AFC East. But with the uncertain quarterback situation, I think I am being generous to predict only 9 losses.
New York 7-9
Sadly, the Jets handed the Dolphins the division in the last game against Miami last season. When they realized they were mathematically eliminated, they turned a game they still had a shot to win into a joke. I don't believe in karma in sports, but I am making an exception here.
Patriots Schedule Schedule 2009
I'll make a prediction about the first game later this week. Buffalo at home should be a blow-out. But by how much? I'll tell you later. Then week by week, I'll give a final score prediction. For now, I've marked the four tough games I think they could lose in red. I think they'll win at least one of these and have no problem with the rest of their schedule. As I wrote above, these are four very tough teams. But then again, the Pats will be favored in at least three of these games because they play at home.
Something bothers me about the away game against Houston at the very end. If the Pats have their seeding all wrapped up by that date, it could mean a game to start their secondary.
Week 1 -- 9/14 -- vs. Buf
Week 2 -- 9/20 -- @ NYJ
Week 3 -- 9/27 -- vs. Atl
Week 4 -- 10/4 -- vs. Bal
Week 5 -- 10/11 -- @ Den
Week 6 -- 10/18 -- vs. Ten
Week 7 -- 10/25 -- @ TB
Week 8 -- Bye Week
Week 9 -- 11/8 -- vs. Mia
10 -- 11/15 @ Ind
11 -- 11/22 -- vs. NYJ
12 -- 11/30 -- @ NO
13 -- 12/6 -- @ Mia
14 -- 12/13 -- vs. Car
15 -- 12/20 -- @ Buf
16 -- 12/27 -- vs. Jac
17 -- 1/3 -- @ Hou
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
New England Patriots favored to win Superbowl LXIV
Odds makers have been saying since the second week of February that the Pats are the odds on favorites to win Superbowl LXIV.
Several "firsts" will occur.
Miami will become the first metro-area in the United States to have hosted 10 Superbowls.
This will be the first Super Bowl telecast solely digitally.
This will be the first Superbowl to use four different Roman numerals.
I am sure there are many more records and "firsts" that will be relevant to the Patriots team, but I will post them as we get into this promising season.
(I haven't posted for a while, but with the Red Sox in playoff contention, the Pats, Celts and Broons all poised for playoff runs, I'll need to get back to writing this secondary blog with a little more seriousness. Around World Series time, I'll write a review of Lost Son of Havana and prove once and for all why it is a travesty that Luis Tiant is not in the Hall of Fame.)
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Here are the odds:
New England Patriots 8/1
Dallas Cowboys 9/1
New York Giants 10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Indianapolis Colts 12/1
San Diego Chargers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens 14/1
Tennessee Titans 16/1
Carolina Panthers 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Atlanta Falcons 25/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Green Bay Packers 25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
New York Jets 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 30/1
Chicago Bears 30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1
Buffalo Bills 35/1
Houston Texans 35/1
Miami Dolphins 35/1
Washington Redskins 35/1
Seattle Seahawks 50/1
Cleveland Browns 55/1
Cincinnati Bengals 60/1
San Francisco 49ers 60/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
St. Louis Rams 75/1
Detroit Lions 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Several "firsts" will occur.
Miami will become the first metro-area in the United States to have hosted 10 Superbowls.
This will be the first Super Bowl telecast solely digitally.
This will be the first Superbowl to use four different Roman numerals.
I am sure there are many more records and "firsts" that will be relevant to the Patriots team, but I will post them as we get into this promising season.
(I haven't posted for a while, but with the Red Sox in playoff contention, the Pats, Celts and Broons all poised for playoff runs, I'll need to get back to writing this secondary blog with a little more seriousness. Around World Series time, I'll write a review of Lost Son of Havana and prove once and for all why it is a travesty that Luis Tiant is not in the Hall of Fame.)
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Here are the odds:
New England Patriots 8/1
Dallas Cowboys 9/1
New York Giants 10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Indianapolis Colts 12/1
San Diego Chargers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens 14/1
Tennessee Titans 16/1
Carolina Panthers 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Atlanta Falcons 25/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Green Bay Packers 25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
New York Jets 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 30/1
Chicago Bears 30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1
Buffalo Bills 35/1
Houston Texans 35/1
Miami Dolphins 35/1
Washington Redskins 35/1
Seattle Seahawks 50/1
Cleveland Browns 55/1
Cincinnati Bengals 60/1
San Francisco 49ers 60/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
St. Louis Rams 75/1
Detroit Lions 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Sunday, May 31, 2009
SOTOMAYOR'S Bias for the New York Yankees
from Human Events:
I support the idea of nominating a woman or a hispanic to the U.S. Supreme Court, but not this one, not Judge Sonia Sotomayor. And she's so biased, that I'll go out on a limb to predict the main reason she won't be confirmed:
As a native of South Bronx, Sotomayor's hidden home-town bias became manifest in her love for the New York Yankees, judicially favoring her "Bronx Bombers" over teams from all other cities. No kidding! When ruling to end the 1995 baseball strike, she sided with the player's union against team owners (who sought parity among all teams with an talent-sharing salary cap). Instead Sotomayor created bias in favor of rich teams who can afford to buy up all the good free agents. So when the New York Yankees hogged 4 titles and 6 pennants in the 8 years after her ruling, with payrolls averaging three times most other team salaries, you can blame Sotomayor for creating that competitive imbalance. I understand why Yankees fans might celebrate her promotion to the Supreme Court, but baseball fans from all other cities should complain loudly against her confirmation!
I support the idea of nominating a woman or a hispanic to the U.S. Supreme Court, but not this one, not Judge Sonia Sotomayor. And she's so biased, that I'll go out on a limb to predict the main reason she won't be confirmed:
As a native of South Bronx, Sotomayor's hidden home-town bias became manifest in her love for the New York Yankees, judicially favoring her "Bronx Bombers" over teams from all other cities. No kidding! When ruling to end the 1995 baseball strike, she sided with the player's union against team owners (who sought parity among all teams with an talent-sharing salary cap). Instead Sotomayor created bias in favor of rich teams who can afford to buy up all the good free agents. So when the New York Yankees hogged 4 titles and 6 pennants in the 8 years after her ruling, with payrolls averaging three times most other team salaries, you can blame Sotomayor for creating that competitive imbalance. I understand why Yankees fans might celebrate her promotion to the Supreme Court, but baseball fans from all other cities should complain loudly against her confirmation!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Ellsbury's Straight Steal of Home
It was the first steal of home for Boston with no other runners attempting to steal since Jeff Frye did it on June 4, 1999, on an attempted squeeze bunt. Before that you have to go all the way back to Billy Hatcher on April 22, 1994 for a straight steal of home by a Red Sox player. A straight steal of home -- an attempt to steal with no other players in motion, such as a double steal or a missed bunt attempt -- is a feat that is about as rare as a no-hitter.
Then to cap off an almost perfect week, it was the Red Sox' tenth straight win. The Bruins just took four straight from their hated rivals -- l'empire mauvais -- the Montreal Canadiens. Only a double overtime Celtics loss marred this remarkable week in this Golden Age of Boston Sports.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Patriots Day Report
I grew up in Framingham where the famed Boston Marathon zig-zagged north from Hopkington along Waverly Street until it passed through Natick. I used to ride my bicycle to a spot about five miles into the Marathon on Patriots Day when I was in high school. Although only Marathon runners were supposed to be in the race, many people would jump in along the route. Spectators used to ride their bicycles along side the runners too. Until they got more stringent about this a few years ago (remember Rosie Ruiz?) the tail end of the race always looked like a sideshow with many colorful characters.
One day it was drizzling and I stood near a place in the road where train tracks crossed diagonally at an acute angle with the street. The roads in New England of course have frost heaves and this railroad track was a bit hazardous. I remember watching bike after bike hit those tracks that cruelly grabbed the front wheel forcing the cyclists to slide sideways along the rail until they fell over.
We'd yell, "Watch out for the tracks!"
Then "CRASH!"
After a while it became comically tragic -- a real life slapstick reel.
On a typical Patriots Day, the Red Sox play a morning game at 11 AM, then the crowd spills out along Commonwealth Avenue to watch the end of the Marathon. The Celtics will play a postseason game in the Garden at night this year and the Bruins will try for their third win in the first round of their playoff series in Montreal.
Four monumental sports events in one day. What other city can boast that?
On a related note, I have to point out that no one city has ever had three major league sports teams win championships within a year's time. Boston has a chance to have all four of its major league teams -- basketball, hockey, baseball and football -- win a world championship. It's unlikely, but plausible. We'd be happy with one, ecstatic with two. If Boston wins three you'll never hear the end of it. Four and the city spontaneously combusts with revelry never to recover.
Here I will rate the chances of the four teams.
Celtics -- Chances are now looking slim here. Although I am certain they can come back to beat the Bulls, without Kevin Garnett, they will be lucky to make it past the second round. But have the Celts ever gotten lucky before? If they get to the Eastern Conference Finals, then all bets are off and anything can happen. If they can steal a game on the road, then they play three games in the Garden where that leprechaun lives.
Red Sox -- Fair to good. They have a deep well-balanced team -- the best bullpen and starting pitching in their division. They are 28 million under budget for player salaries this year after jettisoning Manny. They can afford to go out and get some offense and a starting shortstop. If the Yankees and the Devil Rays (I still can't believe I am saying that in the same breath) were not in the same division, they'd be a shoe in for the postseason. But even with a great team, it's going to be a three way dog fight.
Patriots -- Very good. After a difficult first half of the season, the Patriots have a cakewalk of a schedule. They reloaded with some quality players and should be much better than the 11-5 team that narrowly lost to the Dolphins last season. How much better? If they can go 6-0 in the first part of the season, you'll be hearing "undefeated" predictions from me again.
Bruins -- Good to excellent. They are arguably the best team in the NHL, second only San Diego in points. They have the best defense and are playing like a team that really wants it after a 36-year drought. Even without the four team miracle, a Bruins championship would be the icing on the cake of a remarkable decade.
One day it was drizzling and I stood near a place in the road where train tracks crossed diagonally at an acute angle with the street. The roads in New England of course have frost heaves and this railroad track was a bit hazardous. I remember watching bike after bike hit those tracks that cruelly grabbed the front wheel forcing the cyclists to slide sideways along the rail until they fell over.
We'd yell, "Watch out for the tracks!"
Then "CRASH!"
After a while it became comically tragic -- a real life slapstick reel.
On a typical Patriots Day, the Red Sox play a morning game at 11 AM, then the crowd spills out along Commonwealth Avenue to watch the end of the Marathon. The Celtics will play a postseason game in the Garden at night this year and the Bruins will try for their third win in the first round of their playoff series in Montreal.
Four monumental sports events in one day. What other city can boast that?
On a related note, I have to point out that no one city has ever had three major league sports teams win championships within a year's time. Boston has a chance to have all four of its major league teams -- basketball, hockey, baseball and football -- win a world championship. It's unlikely, but plausible. We'd be happy with one, ecstatic with two. If Boston wins three you'll never hear the end of it. Four and the city spontaneously combusts with revelry never to recover.
Here I will rate the chances of the four teams.
Celtics -- Chances are now looking slim here. Although I am certain they can come back to beat the Bulls, without Kevin Garnett, they will be lucky to make it past the second round. But have the Celts ever gotten lucky before? If they get to the Eastern Conference Finals, then all bets are off and anything can happen. If they can steal a game on the road, then they play three games in the Garden where that leprechaun lives.
Red Sox -- Fair to good. They have a deep well-balanced team -- the best bullpen and starting pitching in their division. They are 28 million under budget for player salaries this year after jettisoning Manny. They can afford to go out and get some offense and a starting shortstop. If the Yankees and the Devil Rays (I still can't believe I am saying that in the same breath) were not in the same division, they'd be a shoe in for the postseason. But even with a great team, it's going to be a three way dog fight.
Patriots -- Very good. After a difficult first half of the season, the Patriots have a cakewalk of a schedule. They reloaded with some quality players and should be much better than the 11-5 team that narrowly lost to the Dolphins last season. How much better? If they can go 6-0 in the first part of the season, you'll be hearing "undefeated" predictions from me again.
Bruins -- Good to excellent. They are arguably the best team in the NHL, second only San Diego in points. They have the best defense and are playing like a team that really wants it after a 36-year drought. Even without the four team miracle, a Bruins championship would be the icing on the cake of a remarkable decade.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Bird Dies - New England Mourns
If you grew up in eastern Massachusetts in the 1970s, you idolized "the Bird." No, not that Bird ... Mark Fidrych, the Detroit Tigers' Rookie of the Year sensation in 1976, who sort of resembled Sesame Street's Big Bird and talked to himself on the mound, leading to rumors that he was "telling the baseball what to do."He went 19-9 as a rookie, leading the American League in earned run average (2.34) and complete games (24). He was the starting pitcher for the AL in the All-Star Game, won the AL Rookie of the Year Award, and finished second to the Orioles' Jim Palmer in the AL Cy Young voting. He did everything all out. No major league pitcher has anything close to 20 complete games anymore. In those days, pitchers were not coddled and paced by management. So his career was unfortunately cut short when he suffered arm injuries.
Although he played for the Tigers, he was a hero in my home town because Northboro is the town just to the northwest of Framingham (just as Doug Flutie's Natick is the town to the southeast). I can remember my step-brother claiming he pitched against him, never minding the fact that Fidrych was five years older than him. Older step-brothers!
Likewise, very few people in Framingham had any idea who Flutie was until he threw that pass in 1984 -- although some of my classmates actually did play against Flutie.
Mark Fidrych played a season or two for the Pawtucket Red Sox, but could never break back into the big leagues. He died yesterday in a truck accident on his farm. He was 54. By all accounts he lived out the rest of his life as a "regular guy" in rural Northboro.
The Boston Globe has an excellent article today on The Bird.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Jim Rice elected to the Hall of Fame
I always thought Jim Rice was a much better hitter and outfielder than Reggie Jackson. The main reason Reggie was a lock in his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame is due of course to his status as "Mr. October." Rice also didn't have the longevity to make him truly legendary as those two other monosyllabic Hall of Famers from Fenway's left field, Ted and Yaz. But over all, Rice compares favorably year-by-year to Reggie.Rice never won a World Series. It wasn't entirely his fault. He did not play in the legendary 1975 World Series due to a broken wrist. (Who knows what could have been? But then Bernie Carbo would not have played, and we wouldn't have had Fisk's home run in the 12th inning, right?) Then Rice batted .333 in the 1986 World Series with a .455 on-base percentage.
In 1978 (the year the Red Sox would have won the World Series if only ...) Rice became the first American League player to compile 400 total bases since Joe DiMaggio. Rice had 382 career home runs, just shy of the magic shoe-in number of 400. He hit more than 25 home runs in seven of his 16 seasons. His career-high was 46 HRs in 1978, the most in the majors that season. He was the MVP that year and led a group of colorful personalities that was arguably the best Red Sox team ever.
Jim Ed Rice was finally recognized in his last year of eligibility. Everyone knows it is a travesty that it took this long. He finally squeaked in with 76 percent of the votes last week. However, Rice's numbers compare favorably to many other Hall of Famers year-by-year. Just take Reggie Jackson for example. Forget about all-time stats for one moment and tell me who you'd rather have on your team for one year. Remember too the defensive liability of Jackson in the outfield. I once sat in Fenway with my cousin and my father and saw Butch Hobson hit an inside-the-park home run (something almost unheard of in tiny Fenway) in part due to Jackson's lackadaisical attitude in right field. This was when Jackson was with the Orioles in 1976. I also witnessed first hand Jim Rice leg out a double on Jackson in 1977, which resulted in the famous Billy Martin brawl in the Yankees dugout when Reggie was recalled from the outfield in an egregious clash of egos.
It's true that Rice is not even close to the legend he replaced in left field, Carl Yastrzemski, as a total ballplayer, but his defense improved after a rocky start in his first two years and he had a powerful arm.
Statistical Averages Per Year:
Jackson (21 seasons)
Batting average = .262
On base percentage = .356
Slugging percentage = .490
HRs per year = 32
RBI per year = 98
Fielding percentage = .967
Rice (16 seasons)
Batting average = .298
On base percentage = .352
Slugging percentage = .502
HRs per year = 30
RBI per year = 113
Fielding percentage = .980
Now someone has to rectify the injustice done to Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, then all will be right with the world.
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